Cable cutting and skinning tool



Nov. 1, 1932. J. A. PEDERSEN CABLE CUTTING AND SKINNING TOOL Filed Dec. 10. 1930 john Pedersm INVENTOR BY ATTORNE W W7 Patented Nov. 1, 1932 JOHN A. PEDERSEN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN A. ROEBLINGS SONS COMPANY, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY CABLE CUTTING AND SKINNING TOOL Application filed December 10, 1930. Serial No. 501,313.

In electric power and telephone work it is an ever present necessity to remove a por- .tion of the insulation of electrical conductors for the purpose of making connections. At present this work is done mostly with knives of more or less modified form. It requires a great amount of experience and attention to do a good job with such knives, and as a consequence the copper wire inside an electical conductor is often damaged, many times to such an extent that it breaks after the device wired with such a damaged cable has been in use for some time.

The present invention has for its purpose the provision of a skinning tool having a cut of adjustable depth. Furthermore, the device under discussion is provided with adjustable guides which assure a out which is parallel to the axis of the wire-inside a conductor or cable.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrange-v ment of parts, hereinafter fully described, claimed and illustrated in the' accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top elevational, Figure 2 is a cross sectional, partly side elevational, and Figure 3 is a front elevational view. The foregoing views correspond to one another, and show my device in the act of removing the insulation of a cable.

The principal parts of my device and their functions will be understood from the following description 10 is a cable the insulation of which is just being partially removed. To perform the said operation the lower end 11 of the adjustable cutter 12 is ground to a'knife ed e, and is brought into cutting contact with the insulation of the cable to be skinned, as shown on Figures 2 and 3. The adjustable cutter 12 is housed in a handle 13-which is substantially a hollow cylinder, provided with an upper tapped portion 14 which engages with the similarly threaded upper portion of the adjustable cutter 12. The locknut- 15 is provided to prevent any accidental change in the adjustment of the adjustable cutter 12. One terminal of the hollow handle provides a seat, through which the cutting terminal 11 projects, for movably engaging the cable skin (Fig. 2).

The amount by which the knife edge 11 protrudes from the handle 13 can be easily adjusted so as to correspond to the thickness of the insulation of. the cable or conductor to be skinned. Since the knife edge 11 can penetrate into the cable only the distance by which the said knife edge protrudes from the handle 13, damage to the copper wires inside the cable is effectively prevented. Pin 22 is disposed in a correspondingly shaped slot in the adjustable cutter 12 for the purpose of effecting rotation and proper adjustment of the said cutter.

The lower outer portion of the handle 13 is screw-threaded, and by this means the handle is fastened to the lower part or housing of the device, on which there are mounted two guide bars 16 and 16', constructed integrally with rack 17 and 17. The said racks 17 and 17 are moved in or outward by means of worms 18 and 18 which are rotatively supported in brackets'19 and 19 of said housing. A hollow portion 20 is provided in each of the said brackets 19 and 19 for the purpose of guiding and supporting the racks 17 and 17 Suitable apertures are provided in the housing for the worm nuts 18, 18, as shown.

As shown on Figure 2, the guide bars 16 and 16 straddle the cable to be skinned, thereby assuring parallelism of the cut with the axis of the cable, no matter how hurriedly the operation is performed, or unskilled the operator may be. In addition, the device illustrated possesses a safety feature, since the cutting edge cannot slide off the cable, and the guide bars 16 and 16 prevent the knife edge 11 from cutting into the operators arm under any condition.

My device is adapted not only for cutting the insulation of a cable parallel to the axis of such cable, but also at right angles to it.

This latter operation which has to be permoved insulation can be eflected by turning the adjustable cutter or blade 12 into a position at right angle to said axis, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4' and then rotating the tool l a full circle around the cable, with the adjustable cutter 12 in cutting contact with theiin sulation. For longitudinal cutting, said blade is disposed in parallel relation with the axis of the cable. is 1 While I have shown anddescribed the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that many minor modifications may be resorted to within the scope'of the invention, and I do not, therefore, desire to be H limited to the precise construction iilustrated in the drawing.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

I claim: a

1 1. A cable skinning tool, having an adjustable cutter and a handle; a lower guiding part provided 'with movable guides; the sep aration between the said guides being capable ll of adjustment, and means for regulating the said separation so as to correspond to the diameter of thejcable or insulated conductor; to be skinned, the said means consisting of a worm and rack suitably mounted on the said 60 lower guiding part and guide respectively. 2. A cable skin cutting tool comprising a hollow handle having a seat for movably engaging a cable skin, a knife having a cuttin terminal projecting from the hollow of sai handle atits seat, and means for guiding said terminal during movement of said seat, said means having opposed brackets on said handle at its seat, each of said brackets having therein an aperture, a rackbar disposed in 40 each aperture, arms depending from and rigid with said bars for adjustably engaging opposed portions of: a skin, and worm nuts revolvably disposed in said apertures and meshin with said respective bars ior adjustin% sai arms. i ed at Brooklyn in the county of Kings and tate of New York, this 19th day of November, A. D. 1930. JOHN A. PEDERSEN. 

